Archive for March, 2010

I cannot believe I have finally made it to the last day of the challenge! Unlike February, I had absolutely no set backs in March. I quite literally worked my butt off. These lips did not meet a single bit of junk food and I did not miss one workout. Yesterday was a close call though. The place I play volleyball clouded up with thick dust on Sunday and Monday I woke up with a sore throat. Yesterday it burned so bad I thought for sure I was really sick. I laid in bed furious that I had come so far and was getting sick right before the end. I finally took some ibuprofen for the sore throat and it perked me up enough to get back up there late in the afternoon, just in time.

I have to say, morning hikes are better. It is so peaceful. And I don’t have to hike with other people’s dogs running up behind me, back and forth, back and forth, crashing into my legs. It is cooler, quieter, and best of all I can choose my own pace without having to stop to pass someone or be passed. Yesterday afternoon I might as well have been on the escalator at a busy mall. One more hike today and you can bet I am going to catch the sunrise again. It is 5:00am and already almost 55 degrees out already!

With only 3 days left I still have a lot to do. On Saturday I decided I am going to go hike Mount Sanitas every morning for the last five mornings. I need to get as many more good workouts in as I can handle before the photo shoot on Thursday. Today will be hike number 3. It is still dark out so I should be hiking while the sun is rising and will get home before breakfast. In the meantime I also have a TON of work to get done since I am taking Thursday and Friday off. We only have April to test our current release and I want my test plans in top shape. The less I have to work nights and weekends the happier I will be but I am prepared to do whatever is necessary so… could be a rough month.

Last night I made Low Carb Chili which was a nice change from chicken and fish. Todd enjoyed it even more than I did. Of course, he had his with a bunch of Fritos. Mmm. I could smell those salty Fritos. Actually, I found just the smell of them pretty satisfying. I wasn’t tempted though. I have worked too hard. Anyway, here is the recipe. It is even better the day after it is made:

1. Saute a large onion, chopped and a large garlic clove, minced 2. Add 2 lb extra lean beef and 1 lb mild italian sausage and brown just a bit* 3. Stir in all of the following ingredients, bring to a boil, and then lower heat and let simmer half hour to an hour stirring frequently:

*Replace the sausage with another lb of beef for a lower fat content *Also the more you brown the meat the more dry it may end up, particularly if you omit the sausage. **If you don’t drain the canned veggies really well you will end up with chili soup.

I was so right yesterday. This morning was the most difficult CrossFit workout we have done in a long time. It might have been the first time I had serious thoughts of giving up during the middle of it. He mixed 55 Clean and Jerks into a workout called “Cindy” which is several rounds of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, and 15 air squats for time.

This is a Clean and Jerk:

The workout is timed (meaning you are racing):

1 Clean and Jerk @ 100# (girls) 155# (boys) One round of “Cindy” 2 Clean and Jerks One round of “"Cindy” 3 Clean and Jerks … cont. Repeat cycle until you reach 10 followed by the last round of “Cindy”

It was so brutal. It took 35 minutes. Ugh! Not my best performance. I am so tired.

I officially signed up for Affiliate Cup Team Tryouts on Saturday, April 10th. No more flying under the radar during CrossFit workouts when I am feeling too tired. I think the real work is just starting. More weight! Go faster! I have a feeling I am really going to get beat me up over the next couple weeks.

The head trainer and owner of Flatirons CrossFit asked if I wanted to try out for their Affiliate Cup Team to compete in the 2010 CrossFit Games in California in July. Tryouts are in less than three weeks. On one hand I feel not ready at all for that. Three weeks is not a lot of time. On the other hand I suppose I have been training for it since January on some level. They only have 3 spots to fill plus 3 alternates. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tryout…

Ten days left and one pound to go. This morning at CrossFit we repeated a workout that was part of a competition over the weekend. I found out that if I had competed I might have finished in the top 10 for that workout!